Letters - Dec. 7

Mark Reynolds erroneously claims in his letter to the editor (Nov. 23, 2005) that Greg Walden “used his radio stations in the Gorge to run anti-Kerry ads last fall.” That is simply not true. The public records prove he did no such thing. Mr. Reynolds is not telling the truth. He should retract his false statement.

Mark Reynolds claims in his letter to the editor that Greg Walden “was never elected in the first place.” This is simply not true. A check of the election records proves the fact that Greg defeated three opponents in the 1998 primary and went on to win election to Congress in the fall of that year. Mr. Reynolds is not telling the truth. He should retract his false statement.

Mark Reynolds claims in his letter that Greg Walden “sold his vote to the rich and powerful.” Mr. Reynolds offers no evidence because there is none to offer. Again, he is not telling the truth. He should retract this false statement.

It is unfortunate that this page has become one where it is acceptable to attack a person with total disregard for the truth in a cynical attempt to destroy that person’s integrity in the eyes of the reader. Each week brings another hate-filled, factually inaccurate attack. Is that what political debate has sunk to in this community?

It is very important to keep informing ourselves about how susceptible our children (and adults) are to violent games and images. I don’t believe most sources of news, especially television, are very healthy for children either.

We all need to be reminded of our important role as parents and as community members that our children need positive and peaceful examples.

Camilla Bishop

Hood River

Events inter-related

Your article in Viewpoint (Nov. 30) on accidents prompted me to share my thoughts with you on this subject. I agree that accidents are not accidents. Nothing happens suddenly. Nothing.

When viewed objectively, accidents are not isolated incidents, fortuitous or otherwise.

They are all interconnected by fine strands of interwoven thought patterns manifesting themselves as our ongoing life experiences.

Sometimes a thought pattern is lost, perhaps through a moment of inattention, and a break occurs in the conscious flow of thought patterns as they get imprinted on our memory banks, thus creating the illusion that an “accident has happened” Something unexpected.

An accident cannot stand by itself, unrelated to the players and events in the so-called accident. All and everything are integral pieces of the whole tapestry of life, connected synchronously to one another.

So I remind myself to pay attention.

Wishing all of us an accident-free holiday season.

Anatole S. Fetisoff

Hood River

Judge out of touch

I just finished reading the extensive article in The Oregonian about Judge Mary Mertens James.

It appeared the article was designed to make me understand her decision about Measure 37 and make me feel sorry for her. It is a mystery to me how this well educated lawyer who has had many adverse circumstances in her own life could be so naive about Measure 37.

Sixty-one percent of the voters is a significant number and you would think that alone would make her more sensitive to the issue. As I see it, Measure 37 was created to correct unconstitutional practices in Oregon land use laws. She saw fit to declare this remedy, unconstitutional.

With all of her personal problems, you would think she would be more cognizant of the laws that have stripped Oregonians of their property rights. It is very painful and costly to lose your property rights which are supposedly protected by the U.S. Constitution and the Oregon constitution and protected by our judicial system.

Measure 37 gave 61 percent of Oregonians hope that the law would once again respect their rights and dreams. I know they are going to give up. The courts squelched them in 2000 but it only delayed justice.

This issue is not going away. It is simply a battle for freedom.

Rita Swyers

Hood River

Hood River cares

On Thursday, Dec. 1, I was driving on Brookside Dive when I slid off the road unexpectedly. I could not get out of the ditch.

I just want to thank all those wonderful souls who stopped to ask if I needed help, or offered their cell phones for assistance. I was able to call the tow company because someone let me use their phone.

One lady came by and offered me a hat to wear after I told her help was on the way. Once the tow company came, the fellow who lived across the road directed traffic while I was being pulled out.

This is part of the reason why I have chosen to live in Hood River and stay here is because the people in the community are phenomenal. This type of experience restores my faith in humanity.

One of the foster kids I have who is from Portland noticed how nice everybody was and was surprised as to how many people actually stopped to offer assistance. She made the comment saying something like that would never have happened in Portland. She was able to see small town USA in progress.